The Wider World of Global Healthcare
I recently read with interest Jennifer Wolff’s article in Good Housekeeping ‘Passport to Cheaper Healthcare’ about Medical Tourism.
Whilst I think that it is great that mainstream America is sitting up and taking notice of the medical tourism phenomenon, I find it frustrating that this article perpetuated the myth that Medical Tourism is a ‘third world’ offer only.
Comments such as:
You can have surgery for less than half the price, but only in countries where you wouldn’t drink the water.
are frustrating in that they ignore the reality that there are Medical Tourism options in first world countries.
Countries such as India, Thailand and Mexico have a large share of the ‘voice’ but also attract some harsh criticism with stories of sub-par providers who sully the whole industry. This makes it hard for the average consumer to sort the good from the bad. Don’t get me wrong, there are some great providers in these countries, but they suffer by association.
For those that don’t feel confident in this sorting process there are other options. First world Medical Tourism destinations such as New Zealand, Belgium and other Western countries take a slightly more boutique approach. While they may not shout quite as loud, they have some advantages at the forefront of which is the regulations in these societies.
Quoting Wolff’s article…
“The level of standardization we have in the U.S. doesn’t exist in most of the world,” says Anmol S. Mahal, M.D., president of the California Medical Association. “Currently, there is no good system in place to help guide people through the maze of interpreting what is good medical care abroad.”
I beg to differ. The level of standardization in the U.S. exists in most first-world countries, and there is a good system in place to guide people in their decisions, that is, by looking at countries that have a high degree of regulation and rigor, not only in healthcare, but in law, society and government in general.
Interestingly in the Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index the USA ranked only 19th. Countries promoting Medical Tourism that rank higher on this index include:
1 – New Zealand
3 – Singapore
8 – Iceland
14 – Germany
Maybe the world just got a little bigger for Dr Mahal?
Related posts:
- Healthcare for the Uninsured – a third world problem in a first world nation
- Polar Vision and Socialized Healthcare
Source: The Medical Traveller
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